ODOT pitches alternate alternate routes

Monday

Jan 9, 2012 at 12:01 AMJan 9, 2012 at 8:30 PM

ODOT wants you to think about something tonight -- like a different route -- as you sit stuckon 4th Street. After sticking to a short list of official alternate routes around barricaded Downtown highway ramps, the agency now is expanding its offerings.

ODOT wants you to think about something tonight -- like a different route -- as you sit stuck on 4th Street. After sticking to a short list of official alternate routes around barricaded Downtown highway ramps, the agency now is expanding its offerings.

During the evening rush, northbound traffic on 4th Street has backed up worse than ever in the early days of the agency's three-year rebuild of I-71/670. Ramps to nothbound I-71 have closed at Broad and Long streets, and ramps to eastbound I-670 are closed at Cleveland Avenue. That means most Downtown drivers are now being funneled onto the highways from 4th.

So what are your options?

Here's what ODOT suggests:

-- You can catch northbound I-71 (and, through it, eastbound I-670) by heading east on Main Street.

-- You can take Long Street east to Hamilton Avenue (just past I-71) and take a left. Then take a right onto Mount Vernon Avenue, a left onto St. Clair Avenue, and then Leonard Avenue to catch I-670 or I-71 in either direction.

-- You can stay on northbound 4th Street (stay in the left two lanes when you're leaving Downtown!) to catch northbound I-71 at 5th Avenue, 11th Avenue or Hudson Street.